Why Pastors Don’t Volunteer Extra Time at Church

Our congregation members do so much. The amazing part is that it is all as volunteers. They offer their time up after work and in between social commitments. Without them, the church as we know it would not exist.

I have also been told pastors should be willing to volunteer on top of their compensated work that for the church. But we are paid for 40. So, I wonder out loud now… if your pastor is working 60 hours a week, aren’t they already volunteering 20 hours? And would you do the same for your work? Every week, would you volunteer an extra 20 hours of your time? Someone said, but we all volunteer for the church. And I responded, “and I gave up my career for it.” It is one thing for me to choose to give that extra time, it is another to expect it of me.

A full time pastor gives their full 40 and more every week- not including personal devotion and prayer time. As I said, many I know work a minimum of 50 hours a week and often closer to 60. When I was part time, I never worked less than 30 hours a week, even when I was only being paid for 10!

So why don’t we volunteer our time to the church after work just like members do? I notice that question rises up more when the church cannot afford the minimum recommended salary for the pastor, when the church is in trouble, or when they have forgotten pastors are not commodities, but precious children of God, too.

A Pastor’s work is our calling. It is our life. We have been called and set apart by the community for this work. We agree to be the one who will focus their working hours on spirituality and leadership in the church. In return, the congregation agrees to care for our worldly needs so that we can focus on the church

Once upon a time that was providing a house, a horse, an office, and food in the form of meals or harvest portions. Today it mostly looks like a paycheck so we can have a roof and food, transportation, and communication.

Our work is a calling that consumes our entire lives, often to the detriment of our children and marriage. And it is hard to set that beloved work aside to care for the wholeness of our lives and relationships that are not congregation based. Our wo as a pastor is to lead by living as well as speaking and teaching. If we live a life so out of balance, what are we teaching? We must attend to this carefully and not stray- the consequences are too dear.

Our work is not a job to us. It is not about a paycheck (and we still need a reasonable income) to set our entire career life for the church- the one we will miss anniversary dinners for so we can get to the ER when your mother is dying. The one who gives up every spring and winter break for decades. The one who will often come home to a quiet house all asleep and a cold dinner in the microwave because we stayed extra hours to help a person in crisis.

There is such a thing as working an extra 15 hours in a week when the church flooded from a leaking roof. That is urgent and must be dealt with. But the pattern or direction a church has been heading for a long time coming to a breaking point is not. It has been going on a LONG time and burning out your pastor is not the saving answer. For a pastor to lead you through this, they must be well rested, practicing healthy boundaries and self care. Watching a clergy person lose themself in the midst of turmoil is harmful to the community, the pastor, their family, and the church. As they say on the plane, “put your own oxygen mask on first.”

In order to be a well rounded teacher and preacher, we must have life outside the boundaries of “Church.” For wellness we must have hobbies and interests that feed our spirit and offer an outlet for the big feelings of ministry. Sometimes they may blend well with church life and goals, for example my service with the Red Cross as a Disaster Spiritual Care First Responder. Other times they may not, such as my knitting and spinning. Both are acceptable because you are a whole person outside of your work and your role at church and so are we. We are all called to be whole humans; in union with God and one another. That comes through balance and intentional living.

So when you hear someone ask why that the pastor went home while others are still there… remember that they are caring for the wellness of a whole community and that their time “off” is a critical part of being able to do so in a healthy way. Then speak up and help others understand.